Ei-ectbjcallt-opekated railway-switch



Lmonwsow.

I ELECTRICALLY OPERATED RAILWAY SWITCH. A PP LICATION FILED NOV, 20. 1915.

I Patented July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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LAJOHNSON. ELECTRICALLY OPERATED RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20 I9l5.

'1,309,524.- Patented Ju1y.8, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 J A. Jo/uz .szn,

J. A. JOHNSON.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLicATmN FILED NOV. 20. m5.

1 09,524. Patented July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, Elwuantoz JA. r7052: 501a, Q/vHMmo -1 M I Xm @5651 W UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

JAMES A. :rormson,

or s'rocxvum, mnnsxa, ASSIGNOB or ONE-BALI rots. n.

BMW, 01' STOCKVILLE, NEBRASKA. I

\ ELECTB'ICALIiY OPEMTED RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented JulyB, 1919.

Application ma xovemtuao, 1915., Serial No. eaten.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James A. Jormson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockville, in the countylof Frontier and,

State ofNebraska, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Electrically-Operated Rai way-Switches, of which the 01- purpose to provide an electric system means net in the switch operating tures of simplicity,

lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements. in. electrically operated railway switches, and to signal devices associated therewith.

In carrying outmy invention it is my energized .by a train carried electro-magnetic device for automatically operating a switch from a remote point and for automaticallyreturning the switch to its initial position when the train has reached a determined point in the siding.

Ano er object of the invention is to provide automatic means-for actuating a train signal apparatus under the control of a magcircuit for indicating the position of the switch; thatis, to warn an approachin train whether or not the switch is opene A further object of the invention is toprovide an electrically operated switch sys-r tern which will embrace the desirable feaminimum expense, and which will be operated eflt'ectively under all weather conditions. With the above and other objects in view,

the improvement residesin the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and fallin within the scope of the appended claims.

lu the drawings:

Figure 1 isv a transverse sectional view efiiciency and durability, which may be'restored and maintained at a 1 view of another type of connector employed,

and 4 Fig; 8 is a view in elevationof the car instrument.

In the drawin the numeral 1 designates a main track, 2 t e sidingand 3 the switch which is arranged between the main line and siding. The. switch points are connected by the usual bridle bar which, in the present instance, is under the influence of a spring 4 whereby the switch points are normally thrown to open the main line. I I

Disposed adjacent the bridle rod of the switch is an electromagnet 5 and the nun'ieral 6 designates an armature which is connected with the bridle rod for the switch points and which is adapted to be influenced by the magnet 5 to draw the same toward the said magnet against the pressure of: the spring 4 to swing the switch points to open the main line to the siding, in, a manner which will presently be described. Arranged to one side of-the'outer rail of the main line and at a suitable distance away from the electromagnet 5 is a second electro magnet 7, which for the sake of convenience will be referred to as a circuit connector.

The electromagnet or circuit connector 7 includes a casing'8 composed of some suita'ble non-magnetic material and a magnetizable element 'or' core 9 disposed within the casing and formed of soft iron or other magnetizable substance.

Secured to one end wall of the casing 8' and disposed at one end within the, magnetic influence of vone of the poles of the core 9 is a small metal disk'or armature 10 havinga contact 13 arranged to engage with the contact 14: that is partially embedded in the face of the casing nectedwith the winding of the core 9. ,The numeral 11 designates anv insulating block secured to the endxwall of the casing 8 in close proximity to the disk 10, and secured 8 and'is insulated therefrom, and the said'contact 14.- is conto the said block is a lever 12 having its free end bent inwardly toward the disk 10 to 1 provide a stop for the disk to limit the outward swinging thereof or the outward movement of the contact 13 from the con tact 14. Threaded through the lever 12 is an adjusting screw 15 which is adapted to .regulate the tension of a tension spring 15'.

The said spring is so connected to the disk 10 that it normally pulls the disk away from the core 9 as well as from the contact 14.

Positioned adjacent one of the rails of the siding and at a suitable distance from the electro-magnet 5 is a magnetizable element in the nature of a circuit breaker 16 shown in Fig. 7. The member 16 includes a casing 17 of non-magnetizable material within which is ar anged a core 18, while secured to the casing 17 and arranged in close proximity to one of the poles of the core 18 is a disk 19 similar to the disk 10 shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The numeral 20 designates an insulating block which is connected to the mentioned face of the casing 17 and which has secured thereto one end of a contact lever 21, the opposite end of said lever being curved inwardly, to form a contact member 22 adapted to engage a contact 23 carried by the disk 19. The contact plates 22 and 23 are normally held together by a tension spring 24, the tension of which mag be regulated by a screw 24 passing throng a threaded orifice in the lever 21.

The ends of the casings 8 and 17 provided with disks and levers are normally closed by suitable caps 7' and 16 respectively.

The core of the circuit connector 7 is provided with a winding 25. One terminal of the winding is connected in circuit with the winding of the electro-magnet 5. Leading from the other terminal of the electromagnet 5 is the conductor 27 which connects with the arm or switch member 19 of the circuit breaker 16. Leading from the stationary contact 22 is a conductor 25 having its other end connected to the disk 10. This conductor 25 has suitably connected therein the battery indicated at 26. The otherterminal of the winding 25 upon the connector 7 is connected with the contact of the terminal 14.

Arranged upon the car 30 is an electromagnetic device, indicated by the numeral 31, the same comprising a U-shaped core 39. As shown in Figs. 3 and 8 it is in the shape of a semi-circle and has its projecting ends forming the poles 33 and 34. The winding of the electromagnetic device is-connected with a circuit which includes the conductors 35 and 36. These conductors permit the winding to have a direct connection with the trolley of said wire and with the ground. The conductor 36 is provided with a switch 37, and when the motorman approaches the circuit breaker 'or connector, the switch is thrown by the pull of the magnet to complete the circuit through the conductors 35 and 36 and the winding of the electro-ma-gnetic device 31. The magnetizing of the v poles 33 and 34 causes the magnetic lines to pass through the core 9 of the circuit connector 7. The core 9 then operates to move net or solenoid 38 provided the disk 10 and its contact 13 into engagement with the contact 14. At this time the disk is held to the core 9 and the. current passes through the circuit, which includes the conductors 25 and '27, and the battery 26. he current passing through the winding 25 causes the core to attract the armature 6 to throw the track switch points to open the main line 1 to the siding 2. After the car travels upon the siding and the electro-magnetic devicev carried thereon is brought over the contact breaker '16, the core 18 thereof will be energized to attract the disk 19 away from the contact member 22 on the arm or lever 21, thus breaking thecircuit and permitting the parts to return to their initial position.

Arranged in close proximity to the switch 3 as for instance at the street corner adjacent which the main line and side lines are disposed, is a signal apparatus which is adapted to be automatically operated by a passing train.

he apparatus may be in the nature of a semaphore arm or any other visible or audible device best suitable and includes a magwith an armature 39 which'actuates the signal.-' One of the conductors leading from the magnet 38 is included in a battery wire or conductor 40, the battery being indicated by the numeral 41. This wire connects one side of the battery 41 to the armature 6 of the magnet 5. The other or return conductor 42 of the signal circuit leads from the winding of the electro-magnet to a contact member 43 which is arranged to becontacted by the armature 6 when the circuit of the magnet 5 is energized, as when the car is rounding the corner and traveling from the main line to the siding. As shown in Fig. e signal circuit is maintained open, which indicates that the main line is clear for traffic. When, however, the armature 6 is operated by the electro-magnet 5'and the circuit which includes the conductors 40 and 42 leading to the electro-magnet 38 is closed, the armature 39 will be drawn tloned to indicate danger. The movement of the armature 6 toward the core of the downward and the semaphore blade posielectromagnet 5 causes the switchpoint to open to the siding or side track 2, the switch ing maintained in this position as long as the clrcuit breaker or connector 16 1s not,

acted upon. As long as the switch points connect the siding 2 with the main line, the signal will be maintained in such a posi tion as to indicate that they are open.

In installing this system the usual or customary methods may be employed, which include the positioning of the various elements so as to protect them from wilful or accidental injury incident to their position adjacent the tra From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawm s,

the simplicity of the device, as well as ,t e

' ism cf the core and having a contact to \en-' advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly ep atent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: I

1. A circuit controllin device having a magnetic core, a contact insulated from the core, a disk'operated through the magnetg age the first mentioned contact, and a conductor lncluded in the circuit, encircling the core, and tenmnating at the insulated contact.

2. A circuitcontrolling device, including a non-magnetic casing, a magnetizable core therein, a contact secured to and insulated from the casing, a conductor for magnetizing the core, said conductor having one terminal at said contact, a movable disk carried by the casing and controlled by the magnetism of the core, and a contact carried by said disk to cooperate with the first mentioned contact,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 7

JAMES A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

L. O. TAYLOR, ETHEL NALL. 

